Insight: The Dilemma of a Proactive Approach to Emergencies
Dealing with large-scale emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or even situations with the potential to develop into larger emergencies, can arguably require drastic measures to resolve. Since the overall severity of an emergency situation can depend on the speed of the initial response, a quick response will generally yield the greatest benefit. Following this line of reasoning, a proactive response where a potential emergency situation is dealt with before it can escalate significantly would seem to be a favourable option. However, measures that are implemented before they are seen as needed might be met with resistance from the population and disregarded. This could ultimately result in more harm than good and potentially limit the effectiveness of future measures when they are more urgently needed.
This was the argument presented on April 9th, 2020, by Ian Culbert, the executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association, when addressing a committee of MPs. In defence of the Canadian federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Culbert argued that there was limited support from the public “for strict measures in the middle of January” and that “low public support would have led to low-level adherence and a diminished support for any future interventions” (Burke, 2020, para. 2–3). While in hindsight an early intervention could have potentially limited the spread of COVID-19 and saved lives, until the severity of the problem was evident, the effectiveness of voluntary measures would have been limited and involuntary measures could have been politically disastrous. As Mr. Culbert further noted, “slowly, you have to change people’s thinking … that takes time. It takes evidence. You have to prove to people that it’s serious”(Burke, 2020, para. 3).
The question, however, remains whether in a post-COVID environment, a more proactive approach may be seen as necessary by decision makers. Furthermore, the more important question to consider could instead be, “what is required for a proactive approach to be seen and understood as necessary by the Canadian population?” This arguably is what would be required for any voluntary proactive measures to be successful.
Source:
Burke, A. (2020, April 9). Canadians would not have backed strict pandemic measures in mid-January, says official | CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/closing-border-sooner-buy-in-1.5528515
Follow CASIS Vancouver | casisvancouver.ca
